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22nd April 2007

Ploughmans start with a win… For a change!

For many years now we have been slow starters. This is a little strange considering how much time is spent in the nets over the winter, so it was a very nice feeling to come away with a win for this first game of the 2007 season. Neither team managed to put out their strongest eleven as originally agreed but as it happened it was a pretty fair contest in the end. Vice Captain Pip considered it a good toss to lose and I think he was right, so I was doubly pleased when it fell on heads (let’s hope I have better luck with the coin this year!)
and RVs elected to bat.

Matt Ashton took the new ball and was on it right away and I opened at the other end – on another day we could have both had 2 wickets after our first over when finding the edge of the openers bats – but instead we went for a few due to some pretty rusty, flat footed fielding. We hadn’t started well but then pulled it back really well when I came off and was replaced by Will Barras. Straightaway Will was in the right area, bowling a tight line outside off stump and nice and full. He and Smash slowed down the run rate and then the first wicket of the new season fell as Matt got his reward when Feeney pouched a simple chance behind the stumps. Will continued with very little luck, but at least he wasn’t going for any… Then Smash removed the other opener courtesy of a tough low catch at cover made to look ridiculously easy by Nick Ridgway.

Ploughmans were now in the ascendancy and Smash bowled through before handing over to Chas. Initially wanting to go around the wicket to the left hander Chas was advised not to, and to try and bowl across him instead. After two looseners he found his rhythm and then settled in for what was an excellent spell. He only went for 18 runs off his 8 overs (8 of which were in his last over) and would’ve got more than the 1 wicket he deserved (a caught and bowled which almost surprised him in its simplicity) if it weren’t for some extraordinarily poor umpiring. He was also helped by some much improved fielding as well. Matt Ridgway came on to bowl and surprised us all with what can only be described as utter crap for his first over – he still took a wicket (with a long hop) however, courtesy of a well judged catch at fine leg by McNee.

RVs were stuttering… Wickets weren’t exactly coming easy but the run rate was well down and PCC kept it that way throughout. Matt bowled their number 5 and Swaps could’ve got a wicket off his 3rd ball before eventually getting his man in his next over thanks to Nick Ridgway (him again) at cow corner. The last 8 overs, usually so critical, were excellently handled by Ploughmans with only the odd boundary and plenty of dot balls meaning RVs finished their 40 overs on 185 for 6.

One excellent tea later and Ploughmans were starting their chase. Nick and Matt look a really solid opening partnership – carrying on from where they left off last year. Whether it’s the underlying sibling rivalry, the fact that they’re settled at the top of the order or that they just know each others games almost as well as their own I don’t know, but with platform building like this we should be much stronger this year. They didn’t worry about the relatively slow start but just played themselves in and accelerated when ready. Nick in particular timing the ball sweetly to and over the boundary a few times. He was bowled by a pretty good ball in the end that jagged back a long way and it was shame as he’d shown everyone else how to bat on this surface and deserved to go on to fifty. No worry though, he had done his job and it seemed every incoming batsmen (although there were only 3 more) looked as if they’d learnt from Nick and Matt. They all looked to hit singles into gaps (although this does still need more work) just rotating the strike as they looked to get themselves in. Matt was bowled playing a tired heave across the line for a well constructed 37. Swaps almost batted through after that, looking to take the responsibility of the run chase on his shoulders – a great sign from a man who knows he under-performed last season - and he was ably supported by Lal Patel who was well caught in the deep and finally by Mark Strachan who never looked flustered at any stage constructing a good knock of 37 n.o. himself – including the winning runs with a six over long off.

So, a decent start… We were a little flat footed in the field, but essentially the bowlers did their job and the batsmen did theirs and it was a very encouraging team performance. More of the same please chaps!

TL